Seafood support for EPA decision on TTR

Fisheries Inshore New Zealand supports the
Environmental Protection Authority decision to reject the
Trans-Tasman Resources Ltd application to mine the South
Taranaki Bight for iron sands.

FINZ CEO Jeremy Helson says
the seafood industry submitted against the proposal because
the risks and uncertainty were too great.

“There just
wasn’t sufficient information from TTR to provide an
assurance that their mining wasn’t going to have effects
on the marine environment that would harm fish populations
and the wider seafood industry,” he says.

“The seafood
industry in New Zealand is sustainable and highly regarded
internationally. I am pleased that the valuable contribution
it makes to the New Zealand economy has been recognised in
the TTR decision.”

Dr Helson says the impact on the
seafood industry was a factor in making its decision to
reject the TTR application, when the EPA stated, “the
major reason was uncertainly around the scope and
significance of the potential adverse environmental effects,
and those on the existing interests (such as the Fishing
Interests and
Iwi)”.

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